


late night seclusion

by elios (zostir)



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, New Relationship, Party, Pre-Relationship, Secret Crush, Self-Indulgent, Sharing a Bed, Tropes, another instance of "let's date without asking each other out", bc it's easier to say "let's share a bed" than "i love you", i love it when ppl forget to do an actual confession whoops, me before this ship: i have high standards, me rn: who cares about stereotypes if it's iotenn, when all the adults are wasted & you wanna sleep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-09-07 18:08:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20313781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zostir/pseuds/elios
Summary: There's only a single bed in Iori's room.





	late night seclusion

**Author's Note:**

> yo i've missed iotenn so much i realized i can write the most stereotypical fic if it's iotenn  
lightly edited so please forget remaining mistakes!! thx

The party is unplanned.

It started with Sougo telling them Tsunashi Ryuunosuke from TRIGGER would drop by to return a CD - the two of them are unexpectedly close, Iori realizes -, and somehow, his two bandmates were invited too. Iori didn't think much of it. He likes TRIGGER, there were good people, cold at first, but actually nice once you got to know them. Today is Saturday anyway, and their schedules for tomorrow won't be too busy - yes, Iori does know the schedules of each member by heart - so the sudden party is no problem.

He ends up spending most of the evening with Tamaki, Riku and Tenn, as they are the youngest members who can't drink. Nagi doesn't either, so he joins them from time to time, but then he goes back to his beloved partners, unbothered by their drunken rantings. Iori is convinced he used to drink alcohol in parties in North Meir and knows how to deal with people in an inebriated state. Then Tamaki is the first one to leave the group, going to his bedroom to play one of his phone games, and Iori stays alone with the twins. He remembers a time when their company was quite a burden: the twins were awkward with each other, especially Tenn who switched between coldness towards Riku and open displays of affection. Now, however, they seem to be reconciled with each other.

"That's not fair, Tenn-nii! One more turn and I would've won!"

"Life isn't fair, Riku. This time, it's my victory."

Iori ends up watching the two of them in silence, only opening his mouth when one of them talks to him. He doesn't mind at all; if anything, he's relieved to see them being so friendly. He knows how painful it is, when you're on bad terms with your brother; he still remembers Mitsuki ignoring him, too hurt to look at him in the eyes, because he hid the circumstances of his recruitment. Also, when the twins are obsessed with each other, they leave him alone.

Finally, Riku starts to yawn, and Tenn says: "You should go to bed, Riku."

The redhead pouts. "But, Tenn-nii, I want to spend more time with you!"

Iori can't say he doesn't understand. If he couldn't see his brother daily, he'd have the same kind of reaction - trying to push back the time to get ready to sleep. Although he's always careful about his sleeping schedule, so he'd be likely to go to his bed if he believed he needed to.

"Kujou-san is right", Iori adds. "You'll see him tomorrow morning, so don't push yourself and go rest."

Riku stares, and then he nods. "Alright. Goodnight, you two. Be nice to each other!"

"Only if Izumi behaves", Tenn retorts, but Iori knows it's a joke.

They stay quiet for a while.

On the couches, the other members seem set on partying all night long. Iori doesn't want to know how many bottles and cans there are on the coffee table. Too many, he figures, and tomorrow they will be a hassle to handle. He should worry, but for some reason, he's way more preoccupied with the boy sitting a heartbeat from him. He wants to ignore him. They have nothing in common, except for Riku; and he believes another person shouldn't be the ground on which you build a relationship.

Still, Iori can't tear his eyes away from Tenn. He doesn't get why, though getting your gaze attracted to this boy; there's something different about him. Now that he thinks about it, the same can be said about Riku; the twins have the same smiles, almost identical, soft and radiant, brighter on Riku's lips, more mischievous on Tenn's. They're like the sun to his sunflower soul, he thinks- then cringes at the cheesiness of the comparison; he must be tired.

Tenn, for sure, looks exhausted. His eyes often shut close for a few seconds, and when he realizes Iori is looking at him, he offers him a weary smile.

"You're tired, too." Iori is only stating a fact.

Tenn nods. "I'm used to it." His voice sounds empty. It's weird that he would unveil his true emotions before Iori, who isn't that close to him, instead of trying to hide his tiredness. A warm sensation flutters in Iori's chest. He ignores it.

"You don't have to stay awake for a party when you're already working so hard most of the time. Come on, Kujou-san, I'll lend you my bed." Iori realizes that what he's saying could be interpreted in a _very_ different way than he intended, and his cheeks burn at the sudden awareness. Yet he knows there isn't any other choice. The dorms don't have futons: they're not supposed to have guests, after all, and while the agency looks away when they invite people, they usually try to hide the fact that they let their guests sleep over. What's more, Iori can't lend a bed or a couch that isn't his, and there's only one bed in his room. A single bed, of course.

Yet Tenn doesn't seem to refuse his problematic offer. Instead, he stares at Iori with concern.

"What about you?" he whispers, and the murmur makes his proposition sounds so much more _intimate_ that it should be. Iori doesn't hate it, but he can't forget about the older members of their respective groups, all around them. Too wasted to care, but not to listen to what they say.

"Don't worry about it. I have... a solution."

He's vague, but it seems enough for Tenn who nods before standing up.

He follows him to the room, and when Iori closes the door behind the two of them, a shiver runs down his spine.

The silence is heavy and thick between them - though it's only a half-silence, as they can hear the shouts coming from the drunkards in the living room, but he can't ignore the sound of his racing heart banging in his ears.

He switches the light on, and regrets doing so when he suddenly remembers he might have forgotten some Usamimi Friends stickers he got from Tamaki on his desk - said desk being right under the loft bed. Of course, there's a high chance Tenn won't notice them, and even if he did, Iori could probably find some lame excuse, anything proving that _they are not his_. He doesn't trust Kujou Tenn, the guy who properly destroyed him the first time they met, to let it pass. Fortunately, for now, Tenn's eyes seem caught on him.

"Let me change the sheets", Iori mumbles, as uncomfortable as if he was in _Tenn's_ room and not his own. The other boy lets him search through his drawers, and when Iori passes him, he says: "Thank you."

It's a simple, expected way to show his gratitude, and yet Iori feels like his chest bursts into flames. "You're welcome, Kujou-san. I couldn't let a guess pass out in the living room, after all."

Lies, all lies. He could, if he truly wanted; he doesn't care how Tenn's partners are going to sleep, after all, they'll end up on the floor or one of the couches, which isn't the most comfortable place to rest. He only suggested this because it's Tenn; because the idea of the boy spending his night in a corner of the room, trying to ignore the adults as he tries to get some rest, bothers Iori way much that he thought.

_He's so hardworking_, he thinks. _Of course, I only want to support him, the same way I do with Nanase-san._ But he knows it's _not_ the same; Riku is his partner, so taking care of him has always been part of the job, and Iori is clear with his feelings. He likes him as a friend, admires him as an idol. When it comes to Tenn, however...

Sometimes, Iori wonders if he doesn't do things for him because he's overwhelmed by him.

Iori finishes changing the sheets, dropping the old ones on the floor - he'll wash them tomorrow, and for once he'll let them lie on the floor, he's tired, too -, and climbs down the ladder. "Tell me if you need anything else. I have spare pyjamas if you don't want to wrinkle your shirt."

Tenn doesn't move. He leans his head down, crossing his hands before him - almost shy and hesitant, and a wave of panic floods over Iori when he raises his eyes. "What about you, Izumi Iori?"

Iori blinks. "I told you, I have a solution."

"... Which is?"

Iori tries his best to find an answer that isn't _I'll sleep on the floor_ or _I__ don't plan on sleeping at all_. The latter wouldn't be a great idea, anyway; he doesn't have school tomorrow, but an interview at 11, so it would be best if he could grab as much sleep as he can.

"I'll... borrow Nii-san's bed?"

_There_. Iori doesn't miss the light spark of anger in Tenn's gaze. It only lasts one second, but it was enough for him to understand how disappointed the other boy is. It doesn't make sense. There's literally no way Kujou Tenn would worry about him, right?

But then he remembers how Tenn decided to give all four of them - Mitsuki, Nagi, Yamato and himself - a long lecture after their failure at Music Festa. He didn't have to, and while he was really harsh with them, he did his best to advise them. He said he did this "for their fans", but Iori always believed it was his own way to look after his beloved brother. That day, Iori vowed he would follow Riku no matter what. He was grateful for Tenn to give him insights.

Maybe this was also the day he started to look at Tenn differently - not as Riku's older brother, not as a rival idol, but as a man with a sharp tongue and a heart of gold.

So Tenn _might_ worry about Iori, but the youngest believes there's something else, too. A feeling he doesn't want to let out, but he can't hide it anyway. A feeling that may be similar to the one that Iori swore to let die inside of him.

"I... I let Nanase-san sleep with me when he doesn't feel good." It's a lie: he's the one who will go to Riku's room and stay by his side, as Iori's room is full of draughts and easily turns cold. After all, who would sleep with someone else in a single loft bed? "But I don't wan-"

"You wouldn't", Tenn cuts him off, and Iori shuts his mouth. "I mean... I wouldn't mind. I don't move in my sleep."

"I... don't move either." Well, things are getting awkward. Iori feels a blush creeping up his face, and he has no idea how Tenn manages to look so... calm. As if sleeping in the same bed as Iori was no big deal. The only hint it isn't is the spark of anger he had in his eyes.

"Then it's decided." Tenn sounds smug as he turns around, pointing the drawers out. "Lend me something to wear, would you?"

Iori's heart drops when he realizes what it means.

When Iori wakes up, he's alone in his bed.

Yet it doesn't feel like any other morning, with his back pressed against the metal bar of the door frame and one of his legs dangling out. There's a large empty space before his eyes, a heap of wrinkled sheets, and the afterimage of a body alongside his. As he extends his hand and grabs the sheet, a shudder runs through his body. The air, around him, feels cold and sharp.

Iori gets down. His eyes land on the pyjamas he gave to Tenn, roughly folded on his desk. His cheeks burn when he realizes there's no way he hasn't seen the stickers. He gets dressed before leaving his room.

He wonders if this is how their... let's say, involvement (_relationship_ is too strong a word, and he can't bring himself to use it, even in the intimacy of his mind) with each other would be. If they decided to give it a try. An awkward exchange before going to bed together. The frantic rhythm of his heart as he lies beside him. And then... the solitude, in the morning. Maybe there would be a note, a few words scribbled on a piece of paper, only saying to take care. Maybe there would be nothing at all.

But they're not _involved_, Iori remembers, they're only friends - or are they? he knows they don't have much in common, but he hopes they are, they've known each other for a while now, and he believes they have overcome their initial reluctance.

When he heads to the kitchen, the first thing he sees is a familiar rosy head.

He sits in front of him.

They're alone at the table, as the oldest members of their groups lie in the living room part, still snoring. His big brother rests on Yaotome Gaku's chest, and Iori can't refrain a smile. Tenn sighs.

"Gaku and Ryuu said they didn't want to impose. And here there are, sleeping like rocks with your members."

Iori nods. Somehow, he understands. He could say, _the same goes for you_, but he figures the situation is different. "Did you sleep well?"

Tenn's gaze goes back on him. He looks rested, and much less on his guard than he was during the night. "I did." He replies in a soft, affectionate tone Iori isn't used to. "Though next time, we should share another bed. I was worried you would fall off in your sleep."

_Next time_, Iori repeats in his mind; of course, there's going to be a next time, if TRIGGER comes for another party, there will be the same problem. And unless Tenn wants to share his brother's bed... well, that would be the logical outcome, but if he _wants_ to be with Iori...

His blood drums in his ears.

"Oh", that's all he manages to say.

"Yes..." Tenn sounds as embarrassed as him as he adds: "Say, if I ever get my own flat... not now, of course, but in the future... Would you come to visit me?"

"With IDOLiSH7?" Iori asks, trying not to get his hopes up.

Tenn frowns. "No. Only you, and me."

Iori blinks.

Alright, he might still be dreaming. There's no way Kujou Tenn would invite him to his apartment, _alone_, especially right after they talked about sharing a bed. Of course, you can platonically share a bed, that's not a problem, but somehow, he believes that's not what he meant.

"Of course, if you don't want to, that's fine", Tenn suddenly says. "I... might be too straightforward, so I'd understand-"

"I'd be glad to, Kujou-san."

Iori has no idea what he's saying. It's as if his lips betrayed him and let the words he wanted to suffocate inside his heart out. Fortunately, they are the only awake people in this room. Otherwise, he would probably die of shame.

Tenn's face, too, turns crimson as he whispers: "Thank goodness."

Iori thinks he's smitten with him.

**Author's Note:**

> me while writing this: why do you have a loft bed iori??? i can't let them both sleep in it, it's dangerous  
my dark side: who cares if it makes u happy  
me: ........... right
> 
> why were reading this if not the fluff fr


End file.
